Welcome to the Fairfax County Department of Public Safety Communications (Fairfax County 9-1-1)

Sooner or later it will
probably happen to you. Sooner or later it will probably happen to
you. An emergency strikes and you need an ambulance, fire equipment or
police—now.

Don’t waste precious seconds trying to call your local fire or police
station. Just dial 9-1-1, by voice or TTY. If you do try calling
them first, you will most likely be redirected to call 9-1-1, since it's
the 9-1-1 dispatchers that have the training and control to gather the
proper information and dispatch all necessary resources for the
situation. And although you may be tempted to call friends and
family, if you are experiencing an emergency, it's important to call
9-1-1 first.

In Fairfax County, your 9-1-1 emergency call is automatically routed to
the Department of Public Safety Communications (DPSC), where highly
trained personnel are ready to respond and get you the help you need.

Land line calls: When you call from a pay phone or phone
installed at a residence or business, the phone’s number determines which
9-1-1 call center (public safety answering point) you reach.

Cell phone calls: Cell phones transmit your call to the nearest
cellular tower and from there to the closest 9-1-1 call center. Sometimes
if you are close to a county or state border, you might get the wrong
9-1-1 call center, but the employees there will direct your call to the
correct call center for help. And although many modern phones and
devices transmit GPS data, there is a margin of error that comes with
this data, so it's still important to try to maintain an awareness of
your location and surroundings in the event you need to call 9-1-1.
A person who knows where they are can usually provide better, and
more reliable information than GPS data can.

Hearing or speech impaired callers: Fairfax County 9-1-1 is
equipped with a text telephone (TTY) device to allow people who are
hearing or speech impaired to communicate through their own TTY device.
If you use a TTY/TDD, press the TTY keys several times after the call is
answered; this may reduce the time necessary to respond to the call. Give
the call taker time to connect their TTY. Tell the call taker what is
needed and provide your name, phone number and address of your location.
If it is safe, stay on the telephone to answer the call taker's
questions. If you do not have TTY/TDD, call 9-1-1 and don’t hang
up. This will leave the line open. In most cases your phone’s address
will be displayed on the call taker's screen and help will be sent.
For non-emergency TTY/TDD dial (703) 877-3715 alternate - (571)
350-1939.

Non-English speakers: If you do not speak English, Fairfax County
9-1-1 will contact the Language Line to provide an interpreter. It helps
us if you are able to tell us the name of the language you speak in
English, so we can tell the Language Line which interpreter to choose.
To learn more about the Language Line Services, click HERE.

Information given to call takers is processed into a computer aided
dispatch (CAD) system and relayed to a dispatcher, who reviews the
information and dispatches the appropriate public safety units—police,
fire or both. Dispatchers can see the information and send help to you
even as the call taker is talking to you on the phone. Answering
questions does not delay response.

We will often keep you on the phone to obtain more information for the
responders who are on their way. For example, emergency medical services
paramedics may need to know what kind of medication the patient takes
every day to improve the quality of care they can provide.

Please remember, 9-1-1 is only for
emergencies. For routine questions
or non-emergency situations in Fairfax County, dial 703-691-2131. To
report road hazards or ask road-related question, 24/7, call
1-800-FOR-ROAD (800-367-7623).

Guidelines for Calling 9-1-1

Stay calm - dispatchers can't help you if they can't understand
you. Take a deep breath and think before you talk. Speak slowly and
clearly.

Know your location and tell the dispatcher the exact address
(apartment/suite number, intersection, interstate mile
markers) where the help is needed.

Answer all questions. The call taker will have questions for you
and may even ask you to do something to help. It is important that you
answer the questions as best as you can. DO NOT HANG UP unless
you are in danger or the dispatcher tells you to do so.

State the nature of the emergency. Stay on the line to answer
further questions the dispatcher may have (Emergency
Medical Dispatch).

Send someone to meet the emergency equipment if at all possible.
It's hard to find an address on a dimly lit street in the middle of the
night.

Teach your children how to call 9-1-1. Be sure they know
what 9-1-1 is, can dial from your home and cell phone, and trust the
9-1-1 call taker. Make sure they are physically able to reach at
least one phone in your home. When calling 9-1-1, your children
need to know their name, parent's name, telephone number and especially
their address. Tell them to answer all the dispatcher's questions
and stay on the phone until they're told to hang up.

If you call 9-1-1 even by mistake, do not hang up the phone.
If you call by accident, stay on the line until you can tell the
call taker that there is no emergency, so the call taker doesn't have
to waste time calling you back or sending police with lights and sirens
to check your address for an emergency.

Prevent prank calls to 9-1-1. Prank calls not only waste
time; they are illegal in most states and endanger public safety.
If 9-1-1 lines or call takers are busy with prank calls, someone
with a real emergency may not be able to get the help they need.
Be sure all members of your household are aware that prank or
harassing calls to 9-1-1 will be dealt with by local law enforcement
agencies.